15 Best Restaurants in San Antonio, Texas

A continuation of a family-run Southside business since 1958, this version of B&B opened in 1984 and has a menu that goes beyond the usual barbecue fare. In addition to the typical brisket, smoked sausage, and pulled pork, they also offer burgers, club sandwiches, tacos, chef salad, and a veggie chef salad that's fresh and flavorful. Choose from barbecue plates with multiple meats or pork rib plates with a half-rack or full-rack. Monster baked potatoes start with only butter and cheese, or choose sliced or chopped BBQ brisket, chicken, or turkey as toppings. Among other tasty sides, the potato salad is a standout.

Though its former filling station location is inconspicuous—apart from the line of hungry patrons—this family restaurant meets any barbecue hankerings. Mouthwatering, dry-rubbed beef brisket, beef ribs, chicken, turkey breast, pork ribs, pulled pork, and sausages are served with tangy sauce (on the side), pickles, and slices of white bread. Scratch-made sides of creamed corn, potato salad, green beans, pinto beans, and coleslaw help soothe the palate.

Pick up fresh Mexican pastries from this long-standing neighborhood panaderia (bakery) in Monte Vista. They make all the traditional pan dulce plus novelty cakes and frosted cookies. Conchas are soft and fresh, while pumpkin empanadas are a favorite. The line can get long on weekend mornings, so plan accordingly.

Located in Sunset Ridge in Alamo Heights, this little place is big on coffee, tea, and bagels. As in, a case full of every type of bagel imaginable. You can watch the bagels getting made. Get in queue to peruse the offerings and decide exactly what you want when it's your turn to order. Choose from butter, jam, Nutella, or peanut butter spread, or select a 6-ounce house-made schmear. Or go all out with bagel sandwiches Texican Scramble, Slammin' Salmon, Ultimate Grilled Cheese, Aunt Katie's Chicken Salad and more.

A San Antonio institution since 1977, Chris Madrids is synonymous with burgers. The six varieties of hamburger—which locals and tourists alike consider among the best anywhere—come in two sizes: the regular quarter-pound and the Macho half-pound. Options include fan-favorite Cheddar Cheezy, the house-specialty Tostada Burger, the Cheeseburger, Porky's Delight (bacon slices and melted cheddar cheese), the Old Fashioned (no cheese), and the Flaming Jalapeño Cheddar burger. Grilled chicken sandwiches, homemade hand-cut fries, nachos, chalupas (open-face tacos), and a kids' meal (10 and under) round out the menu. The place can be boisterous and bustling, but it's fun.

A French twist on the usual coffeehouse scene, with friendly staff, freshly baked bread and pastries in a hip, stylish location within a beautifully renovated historic home in Alamo Heights. They offer breakfast and lunch favorites like croissant béchamel and croque madame, while the robust beverage menu has signature and seasonal coffee and tea varieties. Enjoy your meal on the lovely outdoor patio.

Pronounced kape'h—the Mayan word for coffee—this charming gem of a coffee shop/art gallery/boutique is housed in a cozy homestyle building across from Madison Square Park. Owner/artist Laura Lopez and owner/chef Rudy Lopez created a simple but diverse lineup of flavorful dishes like tomato and feta scramble, salmon toast, and delectable sandwiches on house-made bread. Perfect for a relaxing breakfast or lunch, Kapej has indoor and outdoor dining.

This is a popular old-school neighborhood Mexican bakery. Their pastry-laden cases contain Mexican pan dulce staples like conchas, empanadas, and campechanas, plus cupcakes, cookies, donuts, apple fritters, pink cake, and fresh bread. They also take orders for weddings, quinceneras, and other celebrations. They open at 6 am, and if you have favorites it's best to get there early, especially on weekends. Call with any questions, as they have no website or social media.

Staying true to their name, this company states they use as many organic ingredients as possible, making every single batch of ice cream by hand in Austin. Their everyday flavors are heavenly—caramel salt lick, coffee with cream, dark chocolate with olive oil and sea salt, and more. Their homemade waffle cones use local cage-free eggs, butter, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and wheat flour. Lick is sensitive to special diets and will gladly answer questions about their ingredients.

This is a pleasant hangout with excellent products and a good vibe. They have a great selection of coffees and teas and a small healthy food menu with selected pastries made daily from Full Goods diner. They are committed to sourcing locally as much as possible.

A much-loved breakfast institution, Magnolia prides itself on dishes made from fresh and wholesome ingredients. The fluffy buttermilk pancakes are a mainstay, but for something different, try the Bodega Bay omelet or Oma's puffed apple pancake made with Granny Smith apples and Haus secret spices, served with powdered sugar and European-style whipped cream. Breakfast is served all day, but at lunchtime a diverse selection of Haus-made salads, soups, burgers, and deli "sammies" round out the menu. No reservations are allowed, so be prepared to wait at this very popular spot.

You'll know this drive-through spot by its lime-green structure that practically glows in the distance, guiding you to what some are saying is quite possibly the best burger they've ever had. The menu is wonderfully simple: burgers, fries, and shakes, but it does it all very well. Don't be put off by the "wet" sauce option on the burgers—it's just au poivre, or peppery French steak sauce, for $1.50 extra. The fries are hand-cut and perfect, and the shakes are thick and cold. The place gets very, very busy.

A cute place with top-notch gelato and panini; fresh and handmade are the best words to describe the items here, from the gelato to the pickles and mayonnaise. They import their meats and cheeses from Italy and so far have created more than 125 flavors of gelato, although they only rotate 20 flavors a day. You'll just have to keep coming back to try them all.

If you've never had a breakfast taco, this is the place to try it in San Antonio. Newbies may pause at the number of possibilities, including chorizo and egg, chilaquiles, and migas (eggs scrambled with fried tortilla strips, cheese, and peppers), but first-timers really can't go wrong with a basic potato and egg taco. Breakfast plates, appetizers, soups and salads, and substantial lunch plates round out the taco extravaganza. Don't be afraid of the long lines out the door, as the morning crowds move quickly.

This Alamo Heights standard has served fresh, healthy food since 1981. Regulars and visitors love it because it's a neighborhood spot with a tempting bakery case and a varied menu for breakfast and lunch, including some Mexican favorites. The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly, and a bit quirky. Breakfast is a special treat with a good assortment of omelets, including vegetarian, cowboy, and vaquero (Mexican cowboy), plus Mexican favorites like chilaquiles, migas, and even tofu rancheros. Lunch offers homemade soups and freshly made salads and sandwiches. Brunch is served on Saturday only.